Elementai
by nekokenna
Summary: Imagine Dragons and PJO crossover! Basically I'm putting Percy in the spot of the lead singer of Imagine Dragons...full explanation on the inside. It's readable if you haven't heard Imagine Dragons, but it's nice to know the songs.
1. Chapter 1

**READ THIS TO UNDERSTAND STORY. Basically I am sort of placing Percy in the spot of the lead singer of the Imagine Dragons music group. I'm not putting the songs in order that he made them, I'm putting them in the order that I heard them. Also I do not know the actual meanings of the songs, I'm kinda just making them up from Percy's point of view. I'll do a little research, but most of it I'm just gonna go from what I can tell from the lyrics.**

**DISCLAIMER I do not own ANY of the lyrics in this story. I know I'll probably get grief for that still, but I don't own Imagine Dragons songs or PJO. Enjoy reading!**

I took a deep breath, enjoying the cool beach air. Annabeth sat next to me on the sand, sleeping on my shoulder. I closed my eyes, almost ready to fall asleep myself. Days like this had no meaning, they were simply peaceful. And that was all I needed.

My girlfriend shifted and yawned, then went back to sleep. I noticed a small line of drool in the corner of her mouth. I smiled triumphantly. Now I could finally tease her about it. Grinning to myself, I leaned my head against the stone behind us. I got happy at the randomest things sometimes.

Amid the sound of the waves, I heard a short and soft rumbling sound. Opening my eyes, I frowned. Sure enough, there, on the horizon, was a dark thundercloud. Great. There went my perfect afternoon.

Sighing, I nudged Annabeth as another clap of thunder sounded.

Like a gunshot, I thought. I sighed again, trying to relax. Thunder always got me tense.

I looked at the clouds, then at Annabeth, who hadn't woken up. I decided to wait a little longer. It would be a while before it actually started raining.

As I watched the clouds roll in, I started humming a tune. Quiet so it wouldn't wake Annabeth, it almost got completely carried away by the waves and the thunder.

Thunder, I thought. That could fit. Thunder. Something something thunder. Hm…. Hear the thunder? No...doesn't fit. Tear the-nope. F-feel...yes! Feel the thunder!

Thunder. Feel the thunder. Perfect. Now what? Maybe a note higher… Well, thunder needs lightning, right? Lighting and the thunder.

I shook my head. What was I even doing? I couldn't write a song. My third grade teacher had made that clear when she said, to quote, that I didn't have "an ounce of natural knowledge of musical ability" in me.

Annabeth stirred and yawned again. She opened her eyes and slowly sat up, looking sleepily at me.

"Good morning, Wise Girl," I said softly. "Or, rather, afternoon."

She smiled. "I've been sleeping that long?"

I shrugged. "Only for an hour or...five."

She swatted me and stood up. Looking out at the horizon, she commented. "Big storm coming."

I nodded. "I've been, uh, watching it."

She eyed me. "And…"

I stood up as well and stretched. "What? I've just been looking at it and um…"

She moved in front of me. "And what?"

I looked at her, smiling. "Well, I kinda started making a song."

She shook her head. "Really?"

"I was bored, ok!" I shifted and looked at the ground. "And it, um, it didn't turn out too bad. Of course, I only have the chorus," I added quickly, "but…" I trailed off when I saw her watching me. "What?"

She rolled her eyes. "We just finished two wars, been through Tartarus, still recovering and you want to be a song writer?"

"I didn't say that," I protested. "I just wanted to…"

She raised an eyebrow.

I sighed and gave in. "Ok, fine. It would be cool."

She laughed. "Go for it, Seaweed Brain."

"Really?"

"Sure, why not? You'll have to buy your own equipment, though."

"Equipment…?"

She rolled her eyes again. "What, you gonna play the piano? You'll need, like, sound equalizers and stuff."

"Oh, right, um...could you help me with that?"

She smiled. "Sure. We should get the rest of the seven in, too."

I liked how she said 'we.' "That'd be great."

**I promise the next chapters will be longer! This was more of a prologue. Hope you liked it!**

**-Neko-chan**


	2. Chapter 2

**I forget to mention, this is set right after The Blood of Olympus. No TOA here. Or Solangelo.**

Asmodeus Stahl: **Glad you liked it! Thanks for the review.**

megSUPERFAN: **This is after the Blood of Olympus, so yes, Leo hasn't come back yet. But don't worry *winks***

allisaNERDINTRAINING: **There's not really going to be a conflict in this story, it's just kind of like a slice-of-life thing. I'll put small conflicts in, but no overall plot.**

Chapter 2-Percy

"Wait, Annabeth!" I called as we walked back to the cabins.

She turned. "What?"

"Um, am I...are we...going into this too fast?" I glanced down. "Don't you think we should start small with like...I don't know…" I tried to think of something, but failed and ended up waiting for Annabeth's reaction.

She rolled her eyes. "You want to do this, right?"

"Well ...yeah."

She narrowed her eyes as if thinking of an idea. An 'uh-oh' went off in my head. Annabeth was planning something, and it was probably going to embarrass me.

"Sing the part that you made up for me," she demanded.

Yep, definitely embarrassing.

"What?" I exclaimed. "Right now?"

"Why not?"

"Well... I- um…"

She raised her eyebrows, still waiting.

I cleared my throat and opened my mouth, but then closed it and looked away. "I don't wanna do that."

"Percy, you're gonna be performing in front of a lot more people than just me. You gotta learn to sing."

"Well, yeah...but there'll be, like, music and stuff to go along with it. It's different."

She gave me that look, like, stop making excuses or I'll yell to the entire camp that you want to be a singer.

I sighed, then opened my mouth and half said/half sang, "Thunder, feel the thunder."

Wow this is embarrassing. I made an action like I was pounding a drum, three times. "Lighting and the thunder, thunder. Then it just repeats again, but on a lower pitch."

Annabeth just looked at me, not saying anything.

Was it that bad?

Then a slow smile spread over her face.

"Seaweed Brain, that was horrible. Let's go find you some instrumental music."

My face reddened. "Will it be any better with music?"

"Oh yeah." She started walking. "You're just bad at singing acapella. It'll get better. Trust me." She glanced back at me. "Your mom has a keyboard, right?"

"Like the piano kind?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, the 'piano kind.'"

"Okay, okay. Yeah, I think she does. Somewhere in a closet."

"Ok, we'll go there, then."

I still wasn't completely trustworthy of Annabeth's enthusiasm, but I decided to just go along with it. She usually knew what she was doing. And I was still too embarrassed from singing in front of her, so I was trying to get away from the cringy-ness as fast as possible.

I couldn't text my mom to let her know we were coming, so I just hoped she wasn't busy. We convinced Chiron to let us out of camp, then Argus to drive us into the city. I felt kind of bad, but since Annabeth was on a roll, I didn't really have a choice.

Finally we arrived at my apartment. Annabeth told Argus he could go back to camp, and he gave us a thumbs up and drove away in the Delphi Strawberry Service truck.

Even before I knocked on the door, I could hear Paul and my mom chatting inside.

"Sally? You want peppers in your egg?"

"No thanks. You didn't forget the blue food coloring, did you?"

"Nope."

I smiled. I loved my mom. I knocked and heard Paul say, "Can you get the door? My hands are kind of full."

"Sure," my mom said with a smile in her voice. I heard footsteps, then she opened the door. Her face broke into a smile.

"Percy!" She stepped down and gave me a hug. Then she gave Annabeth one, too.

"Hi, Mrs. Jackson,"

"Oh, I'm so happy to see you guys!" She stepped back. "Come on in!"

We stepped inside as Paul waved from where he was standing by the stove. "Hey, Percy, Annabeth."

"Hey, Paul," I said.

"Hi, Mr. Blofis," Annabeth said.

He shook his head. "You know you can call me Paul, Annabeth."

She shrugged, her cheeks reddening a bit, smiling slightly.

I grinned watching her. She could call my mom Sally, too, but she never did.

"So what brings you here today?" My mom asked, putting a blue fried egg on her plate.

"Let's sit down," Paul suggested.

Once they were seated at the table, I told them, "So...Annabeth had this idea-"

"It was your idea, Percy," Annabeth interrupted. "I just helped it along."

"Well...yeah. But anyway, we were thinking of...of starting a song group."

"Like, a band?" My mom asked.

I nodded. "Yeah. We're not one hundred percent going to go with it yet, but you've got that old keyboard in the closet, right?"

She nodded. "You want to use that for instrumental music?"

"Yeah."

"All right."

"So...you're okay with me doing this?"

She smiled. "Percy, you're eighteen. You're old enough to make your own decisions."

I hesitated, not sure how to word this. "I know, but...I don't know, I just feel like I should run it by you first."

"And you did," she said. "So go ahead and do it."

I smiled gratefully. I knew I would never deserve a mother as awesome as mine.

Paul cleared his throat. "Personally, I think you becoming a songwriter is seriously cool. I'm with your mom. You should do it."

"Thanks, guys," I said, and I meant it. "You guys are awesome."

My mom chuckled. "Go get the keyboard, Percy." She stood up. "I'll set it up. It's been forever since I've played it."

She led us to the closet by her bedroom and opened it. After shoving aside other junk, she finally reached back and pulled out a full-sized electronic keyboard. She lifted it up and half-dragged it over to the kitchen table. Then she took the cord, plugged it in, and flipped a couple switches and pressed a button. The lights flickered on. My mom then took a rag and quickly dusted it off. The rag was nearly brown afterwards.

My mom played a basic C chord. For being an old keyboard, it sounded pretty good. Almost like an actual piano.

She stepped back. "Your turn."

Annabeth stepped forward. She played a couple chords, then a few intervals. "Lower or higher?" She asked.

I hummed the tune to myself. "A little higher."

She played another chord a few notes higher. "Like that?"

"Yeah. Mind if I try?"

"You know how to play the piano?"

"Mom taught me a little bit."

"Okay." She stepped back.

I played the same chord that she did. For the first note, it sounded all right. Now to pick out the tune. I hummed it to myself again, then played a couple different noted for the melody, trying to find the right jump I wanted. Finally I got something that sounded about right.

_Now to step it up…_

"Okay," I said, just to voice my thoughts out loud. "I'm going to be singing the same tune as before, but the background music needs to be a little lower…"

I tried a different note in the same chord and smiled. It worked.

_Might as well sing it now._

I played the chord, then pressed the keys down to the rhythm I was singing to.

"Thunder, feel the thunder."

I hit the same notes a little harder for drum beats, three times, then moved up to the jump I was trying to find. "Lighting and the thunder, thunder."

I played the lower chord and sang the same thing over again, with a slightly more complicated drum rhythm. Then I ended the chorus on the original chord and played it about ten times in a row just because I could.

I stepped back and looked to Annabeth. "How was that?"

She nodded slowly. "It...it was good, Percy. It really was. Now all we need are some varied instrumental, and we should be good."

I saw my mom nod.

"Did you like it?" I asked her.

"Yeah, like Annabeth said, it was good. I think you should do this. I feel like I might be confused about your lyric choice sometimes, but, hey, it's your song."

I smiled. "Yeah, you might be confused about the lyrics I've got planned."

Annabeth laughed. "Knowing you, I'll definitely be confused."

I laughed too, then said, "Okay, I'll try to make it at least make some sense." I pressed a button on the keyboard. "Let's add some more music to the chorus."

**Wow sorry this chapter took so long. Hope you enjoyed it anyway!**

**-Neko-chan**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks so much for all your reviews, guys! They really mean a lot. I didn't expect to get very many readers on this, so thanks! So, um...heh heh...it's been a while...I really have no excuses...but here's a meme to cheer you up. *tips hat to Pinterest***

**Percy:** I'mma** play a song for you right now**

**Percy: It's called 'my life so far'**

**Percy: *Plays a chords* *takes a breath***

**Percy: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH**

**Btw, I may or may not have gotten a boyfriend...well maybe not a boyfriend but he does like me so yay me!**

**Responses to reviewers!**

megSUPERFAN:** Lol that kept crossing my mind, too. Thank you, I was worried that I didn't get Annabeth completely right. Also, I've got a good plan for the first performance hehe**

Susan's Rose:** Thank you!**

MilkAndCheez: **I know right! I thought about that too! Maybe that's why I like them so much lol.**

Stardust and me:** Same! Thank you so much!**

allisaNERDINTRAINING:** Thank you! I'll be sure to do that soon.**

Asmodeus Stahl:** Thanks!**

ediblesunshine25: **Don't worry, it's not abandoned. Thanks so much for your review! **

**Enjoy!**

Chapter 3-Percy

I leaned back in my desk and stared at the music written on the computer screen. I was using the music app called Ardour. It worked really well, but something didn't seem right about the chorus. I was repeating the phrase: _Thunder, feel the thunder. Lighting and the thunder, thunder,_ four times right in a row. Sure, the drumbeats between thunder and lighting were different, but something still seemed off. I could just cut it down to only two times, which is what I was singing at my mom's apartment, but then it seemed too short. I needed something different. Something right after the verse. Right before the chorus.

Then it occurred to me: a lot of guy singers had girls singing, right? Maybe I could get Annabeth to sing part of the chorus. I tried to remember where I had heard her sing, but I didn't think I had. I shrugged. No harm in asking.

As I walked over to her cabin, the more I thought about the idea. Maybe if I could use a voice changer of some sort to make her voice sound higher? Or, not higher, really, just more…. energized?

I shook my head. I had to see if she was even down for it first. I arrived at the Athena Cabin and knocked on the door. Malcolm answered.

"Oh, uh, hey Percy."

"Hey Malcolm. Is Annabeth in there?"

"Yeah, she is. I'll get her a sec." He ducked back inside. From inside I heard,

"What do you want?"

"Percy wants to talk to you."

"I'm busy."

"It's Percy."

A moment of silence, then, "Fine."

I smiled even though I felt a little guilty. Annabeth showed up at the doorway, her hair a little messy. She had probably forgotten to brush it this morning. But it still looked pretty.

"So, are you going to stop staring at me and tell me what you want?" Annabeth said, a small smile on her face.

I shook myself. "Sorry! Um, well...I'm working on 'Thunder,' you know, and, well, I thought it was getting a little repetitive with the chorus repeating four times, and, well, sometimes artists have a girl singing, and well…."

"You were wondering if I could do that," she finished.

"Yeah," I said, then bit my lip. "And maybe autotune it a little, too."

She thought about it, then said, "What would you want me to sing?"

"Just one word," I answered.

"Let me guess. Thunder?"

I smiled. "Yep. That okay?"

She sighed dramatically, widening my smile. "I suppose I could take a break from my extremely important work to help you."

I kissed her on the cheek. "I love you."

She rolled her eyes, smiling. "I love you too, Seaweed Brain. Now let's go."

I did my best to subdue the huge grin on my face as I slipped my hand in hers and walked to my cabin.

"Wait, Percy, we're not allowed-"

I pressed my finger against her soft lips and said, "It's fine. I don't think Chiron will kick you out."

"You're probably right," she said, kissing my finger. Now it was my turn to roll my eyes. "Come on, Wise Girl."

We stepped into my cabin and Annabeth said, "Wow. You've been busy."

I had the whole right side of the cabin dedicated to music, the bunk beds moved to the other side. On the desk was a computer, a pair of headphones, and a few speakers.

"Figured I might as well do something with it. It's not like I'm getting my own studio anytime soon."

She raised her eyebrows. "You don't know that. Your song could be a huge hit."

"I wanted to talk to you about that, too." I took a seat on the edge of the desk. Annabeth sat in a chair.

"Publishing your music?"

I nodded. "Won't that send up, like, the ultimate monster flare? I just feel like it's a great way to get our camp attacked."

Annabeth pursed her lips, like she had anticipated the question but didn't want to answer.

"Percy...the one the monsters will be notified of is you. And I think…"

"Yeah?"

She sighed and looked me in the eye. "I think about every monster knows about you, and, well, I think they'll stay away."

I stayed silent for a moment, thinking about her words. "You mean they're scared of me?"

She bit her lip and nodded.

I glanced down. "Because of Tartarus. What I did with that poison. Because I know how to…" I stopped. I hadn't technically control any monster's blood, but I knew I could. It scared me. Even bringing it up scared me.

"Are...are you scared of me?"

She shook her head. "Percy, the you that appeared in the Pit wasn't the real you and you know that. I love you, Percy. I know you would never hurt me."

I nodded, letting her words comfort me. After a while, I looked back up and said, "If you really think they'll stay away, then it'll be okay?"

She tilted her head. "I'm pretty sure. We'll just release the first song and see what happens, okay?"

I nodded. "So, about the song…"

She smiled. "What do you want me to sing?"

**Ahh I'm sorry. Short chapter this time. I've got nanowrimo coming up (national novel writing month, if you haven't heard of it and you enjoy writing, you should check it out) so I gotta plan for that, and I've got an English project due Wednesday, and a band concert tomorrow. Ugh. Probably not going to update the whole month of November, but we'll see. Hope you enjoyed! Btw, just to let ya know, this story won't be abandoned. I love imagine dragons wayyy too much for that lol. Review if you want :)**

**-Neko-chan**


	4. Chapter 4

**Haha so...it's been a while. If you've given up on this story, I don't blame you since it's been so long, but here's another chapter. I haven't been updating lately cause I've been obsessed with a different fandom, Hamilton. I've also been going through some stuff lately, but anyway, here it is. Hope you enjoy!**

Asmodeus Stahl: **Thanks! It was pretty fun, tho i'm pretty sure i failed my solo lol**

megSUPERFAN: **Lol Annabeth isn't a horrible singer in this, but don't worry, i've got a special scene (not in this chapter) planned that I think you'll enjoy. :) Ikr! I feel like Malcolm is that classic older brother lol. Thanks for reviewing!**

"Percy…"

I turned at the sound of my girlfriend's voice at the door. I saw her standing in the door, a dark background outside made it look like her hair was softer than ever.

"What is it?"

"I just came to check on you. It's past midnight, you know."

I glanced at the clock on my computer screen. "So it is. I'll go to bed soon, I just want to finish this up a minute."

I heard her footsteps against the wooden floor until she came to a stop, her hands on my shoulders. "Are you almost done?"

I hesitated. "Well, I'm almost done with Thunder. I'm just tweaking the parts I don't like."

She sighed. "You can do that in the morning, right?"

"I guess so, yeah." I took off my headphones. "I might release it tomorrow, too."

"That's a good idea. When you've got enough songs, you should give a concert here, you know. Most of the kids would love to go to something like that, but they're half bloods."

"Yeah, that's a really good idea." I smiled up at her.

She smiled back. "I know." Leaning down, she kissed my forehead and successfully turned off the computer at the same time. "Now go to bed."

"You're lucky I have autosave on that thing." I tilted my head up so I could kiss her lips. After a moment, she laughed softly and said, "I better get back before we get in trouble."

"I suppose."

She turned and started to walk away. "See you in the morning."

"Love you."

"Love you, too."

She closed the door behind her. I stood up and after shutting down my music station, I changed and crawled into bed.

Instead of falling asleep immediately like I thought I would, I stayed away thinking of the risks I was taking with this music. Once I posted it, the monsters would know exactly where I was. They might attack the camp, and it would be all my fault. I remembered what Annabeth had said about them being afraid of me, but I still couldn't help but wonder if I was willing to put someone's life in danger.

I snorted. We were demigods. Our lives were continually in danger. And the camp's borders were much stronger than they were before.

It'll be fine, I told myself, and fell asleep within minutes.

(Insert professional line break here)

It was nearly noon and my fingertips were poised over the enter button. Annabeth and Grover stood behind me, waiting for the big moment. I was about to release my first song, Thunder. I took a deep breath, the consequences of what could happen once again clouding my mind.

"This seems really risky," I muttered.

"You aren't backing out now, are you?" Annabeth checked.

"No, but… I'm just nervous, I guess."

"About what?"

I blew out a breath. "Monsters attacking. This whole social thing in general. I've never done anything like this before. I'm...I'm a little scared, to be honest."

"Hey, man, it'll be fine," Grover said. "People are gonna love this song, I promise."

"Okay." One more deep breath, then I pushed my finger down on the button, officially releasing the song.

Then I stood up and walked away from the desk, running both hands through my hair.

"Hey, hey, it's okay." Annabeth came up behind me and rubbed my shoulders.

"I know, I know. I'll just wait and see what comes of it, I guess."

"Yep."

"Um." Grover was fiddling with his shirt. I hoped he wouldn't start eating it. "You told Chiron about all this, right?"

I froze. "I, um…"

Annabeth laughed. "Don't worry about it, Seaweed Brain. I got it taken care of. I figured you'd forget."

I relaxed. "Thanks, Wise Girl."

Grover chuckled. "You'd be lost without her."

I turned my head to look into her eyes. "Yeah, I would."

A knock sounded on the door. "Open up, Jackson!"

I rolled my eyes. "Clarisse." I walked over to the door and opened it. Sure enough, there Clarisse stood, her hands on her hips.

"Yes?"

"Did you post your song yet?"

"Yeah, I just did."

"What did you post it under?"

"Um, my YouTube account?"

She shook her head, seemingly exasperated. "If you're gonna start a band, you need a band name. Seriously. Everybody knows that."

"Oh, well, I guess I haven't given much thought to that."

"Well, we're going to fix that."

"How?"

She grinned in a way that made me want to grab Riptide and run and hide in a corner.

"What are you planning?" I asked warily.

"Oh, I'm not planning anything. I've already executed the plan."

"Shoot. What'd you do?"

"Step outside." She stepped back, making room for the three of us to exit.

I glanced around first, making sure there wasn't a bomb of some kind waiting for me.

"Oh, just go outside. You'll like it, I promise."

"You know that makes me even more suspicious, right?"

She rolled her eyes again. "Prissy, if you don't step outside right now, I'm going to tell them to go back to New Rome."

"Wait. Them? New Rome?"

Annabeth rushed past me and screamed. "Piper! Hazel!"

I felt a grin spread over my face before I followed my girlfriend outside. Sure enough, Jason, Frank, Hazel and Piper stood there.

"Hey, man!" Jason said, coming in for a bro hug. Frank joined a moment later.

I laughed. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Well, Clarisse said you guys were starting a band and I was like, I'm not missing out on that. And, well…" He smiled a little. "I think Piper and I are gonna stay here for a while. I miss Camp Half-Blood. Besides, I'm pretty sure I'm more Greek than Roman at this point."

"And I came along because why not?" Frank said "We'll stay here a while too."

"Man, I missed you guys," I said. The Seven were reunited again. Well, the Seven, besides Leo.

Jason and Frank's smiles faded a little, too, as though they were thinking the same thing.

The girls came over to join us. Greetings were exchanged, and Hazel lightly punched me and said, "Get into any trouble lately?"

"Well, besides starting a band? Not really."

"About that…" Frank stepped forward. "Can we hear your first song?"

"Oh, yeah, of course. Come into my cabin."

"It's so not fair that you get your own cabin," Piper sighed as we walked through the doorway. Clarisse followed behind us.

I grinned. "I am totally okay with it."

"Yeah, I bet you are."

I opened my laptop and clicked a few buttons to get to the place I needed to be, then I clicked play.

Just a young gun, with a quick fuse…

I nearly cringed the whole time. Listening to my own voice made me uncomfortable.

When the song ended the last notes were fading away, I turned to my friends and asked, "So what do you think?"

They all clapped, and Jason said, "I thought that was really good. The lyrics were a little confusing though."

I smiled. "That's the point. That's kind of the style that I'm going for."

"So what does it mean?" Hazel asked.

"Well… I guess I was kind of trying to express that, well, I want people to like this song. I wanna be on that stage. It's kind of like me 'summoning' all the challenges of a demigod to accomplish this dream."

"That was deep," Piper said.

"Thanks, I think."

"Wait." Frank held up his hands. "So, when you sing lighting before the thunder, does that mean that the thunder has a bigger effect or something?"

I nodded. "Yeah, like, lightning is gone in a flash. Thunder is the thing that the people notice."

"And it just got deeper," Piper said. "Anything else you wanna dump on us?"

"Nope, I think that's about it."

Clarisse stepped forward. "You need a name now."

"I have a name."

"A band name, you idiot."

"I know, I know."

"Leo would probably come up with something extremely stupid," Piper said, "but surprisingly witty."

We all laughed at that.

"Yeah, he probably would. He'd love this."

"He will love this," Jason said quietly. "We promised ourselves that he would come back, right?"

We nodded.

"So we've got to think like Leo," Annabeth said.

"Well," Hazel said, "should it have something to do with Greek or Roman stuff? I mean, since we're all in this together, right?" She glanced at me.

"Yeah," I said. "I like that idea."

"What about our powers?" Jason suggested.

"Wait." A memory popped into my head. "Remember that joke Leo always made?"

"He made a lot of jokes."

"Right. I mean the one about the elemelons. How he said that I was water, he was fire, Jason was wind, and Hazel was earth."

"Okay," Annabeth said, "but how does this have to do with a band name? You aren't going to call it the Elemelons, are you?"

I shook my head. "No, but that would be funny. I'm just thinking along the lines of something that deals with the elements."

"Okay…"

"We could just be the Elements," Jason said.

"Hm…" I glanced over the lyrics of the song again. "I think we need to spice it up just a little… Elementee… No. Elementicus? Definitely not."

"Elementai," Hazel said.

I snapped my fingers. "That's perfect. Elementai." It rolled off my tongue with just a twist at the end. "Yea or nay?"

The cabin was filled with 'yea's.

I smiled. "Awesome. Oh, Clarisse?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks. I really appreciate all this."

She looked surprised that I was thanking her. "No problem, Prissy. I think this thing you're doing is pretty cool."

I grinned and looked around at my friends. "This is going to be really fun, you know."

One song. Six members and waiting on another.

And a stage full of dreams.

**Aaaand they're off! Sorry, I'll try to be a little more consistent with updates from now on. It all depends tho. Like last week i had strep, then my medications (which are supposed to help) are giving me hives, so yay me lol. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review! I love feedback :) -Neko-chan**


	5. Chapter 5

**I am currently writing this while doing homework...multitasking! Lol. Anywho I hope y'all are doing ok in quarantine if you're in quarantine, if not, stay healthy anyway :) Enjoy the chapter!**

Kotlc pj dam fan: **Thanks! I was actually a little new to imagine dragons when i started writing this haha**

HarmonyHarpshine7: **Thank you! I'll try lol**

megSUPERFAN: **thank u my friend :) Those were my fav parts too haha.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the song nor PJO (BTW i recommend listening to Demons as you read this chapter, and try to be up to the third verse/bridge near the end, but it's up to you.)**

_Chapter 5_

Demons.

I really hadn't meant for this song to get as dark as it did. I had started it out as a little bit of a venting about how, well, how I wasn't the same as a normal 18-year-old kid, and how I wished I could be one.

It had turned into a depressing song about how everyone was corrupted inside but there were still people who could bring light to the world. I'd finished the first verse and the chorus, but I hadn't shared it with Annabeth yet. I told myself it was because I was nervous to show her, but if I was being honest, it was because I didn't want her to see this side of me...again.

I had written out the first verse and the chorus, and I had an idea of what I wanted the bridge to be.

I sighed and banged my head against the desk. I tried to tell myself if I wasn't comfortable with writing it, then I shouldn't. But I couldn't give up now. I'd already written a song. No backing out.

"Percy?"

"Please come back later," I said, my voice muffled.

"Are you sure?"

I lifted my head once I realized it was Annabeth. "Oh, hey. Sorry, I didn't know it was you."

"I figured." She rubbed my back. "So what's up?"

"Well…"

She waited for an answer while I tried to steel my nerves enough to tell her just what I was writing.

_It's Annabeth. She'll love you no matter what._

I sighed. "Well I started another song."

"What's it about?"

I opened my mouth to tell her, but something stopped me. Instead, I just leaned back so she could see the screen where the lyrics were writing. I shut my eyes tightly as she read it, dreading her response.

My heart jumped and a bolt of fear shot through my chest as she said, "Percy…"

"Yeah?"

"This is good."

I remained silent.

"I'm not sure I completely understand the first part, but this is really good." She smiled at me. "I can't wait to hear you sing it."

"But…"

"What?"

I dropped my gaze to the floor, my fingers drumming on the padded armrest of my chair. "I don't know, I just feel like it's too…"

"Personal?"

"Yeah."

Annabeth blew out a breath, thinking. "Percy, I think it's good that it's personal. You could make that your style. 'Demons' doesn't just have to apply to our lives as demigods. Everyone has their own demons, and I think you'll find that a lot of people can relate to you. So don't be afraid to show your emotions. Your true ones."

"You always find the right thing to say, don't you?"

She smiled. "I try. And, from the way you wrote the first verse, I think it applies more to the entire world, and somehow you fit it into being a personal song as well. You're really an amazing writer."

I scratched the back of my head, trying not to feel self-conscious. People didn't usually give me compliments like that, but what Annabeth said warmed my heart. I smiled up at her. "Thanks, Wise Girl. I really appreciate you being here."

"Of course, Seaweed Brain."

_(Line break)_

"How to show that everyone has demons...emphasize that fact…" I murmured to myself, tapping my pen on my nose. I thought back to a Peter Pan play I went to with my mom when I was younger. I remember being confused when the actors had come out and bowed. I'd thought they had actually been the characters in the play, and not normal people like me.

_The curtain's call… The lights have faded._

I scratched down my thoughts in my notebook, not wanting to forget them. How when the lights fade out, everyone's the same. Nobody is better than anyone else.

I set the pen down and closed the notebook. This was hard, and it was going to be even harder to explain it to everyone.

_Do you even want to do this?_

_Don't doubt yourself._

"Percy!"

I turned around and saw Jason standing there.

"Hey," I said.

"You've been in your cabin all day. You should come outside. Get some fresh air."

I sighed. "Yeah, I know." I saved my progress on 'Demons,' then stood up and shut off my computer. "Wanna practice some sword fighting?"

"Yeah, let's go."

We made our way to the sword practice arena. It was empty, but that wasn't surprising since it was 8 in the evening. Jason fished his coin out of his pocket and flipped it, the gold metal glinting in the fading sunlight as it turned into a sword. I drew my favorite pen out of my pocket and pushed the cap off, and the tip instantly grew into a bronze blade, reflecting the dying rays of the sunset. I grinned at Jason, and he grinned back, although looking slightly nervous. I didn't know why. He'd had much more training than I have.

I took the first move, lunging at him with my sword prepared to swipe him across the side. He blocked and leapt back, but my smaller sword was quicker and was already aiming for the other side.

Back and forth, our swords crossed each other faster than my eyes could follow them. We were both completely matched, neither of us gaining the higher ground until I noticed a hint of desperation in Jason's strikes. I slowed down and focused on using moves that conserved my strength, stepping back when I could've attacked, and using small swipes instead of larger ones. Eventually Jason started to slow down, and once I thought he was tired enough, I went on the offensive, slashing my sword quickly, trying to force him to drop his sword. When he didn't at first, I stopped thinking about my moves, attacks and counterattacks, and just let my brain and ADHD take over. Before I knew what I was doing, I had driven him off the arena and knocked his sword out of his hand. My pulse was high, adrenaline running through me, as we stared at his golden sword lying on the ground.

"I win," I said, breathless.

Scattered applause sounded around us. I glanced up for the first time and noticed a small crowd of demigods that had come to watch us.

Jason picked up his sword and flipped it in the air, turning it back into a coin, which he slipped into his pocket, smiling slightly.

"Well, I didn't want to let you down, but it seems you've beaten me again," he said.

I grinned. "You just gotta be quicker." I capped Riptide and put it in my pocket.

_Wait a minute… Let you down…_

"I'll be back right-um…right back. Sorry." I backed away, then turned around and ran to my cabin. Ripping out my notebook, I quickly turned to the page where I had left off, then looked around frantically for my pencil. I grabbed it and immediately started scratching down my thoughts, not wanting them to disappear. As I wrote, a certain calmness came over me, and my urgency faded once I got the words on paper. Within a minute I had the second verse down and was perfecting the bridge.

"And now," I announced to no one, "for the music."

_(line break)_

"_Unless you show me how_-" My voice cracked as I tried to go higher. "Nope," I muttered. "We're just going to go down instead of up…" I placed the notes into the music. Clearing my throat, I tried again, starting higher.

"_Unless you show_-"

The door burst open and a voice said, "Percy!"

I jumped, my finger, which had been hovering over the keyboard, accidently pressing the esc. button, closing all the tabs.

"Thank you, autosave," I muttered, then turned around to see Piper, Annabeth, and Hazel standing there. "What is it?"

"Have you been on YouTube lately?" Piper demanded, coming over to my computer and opening the YouTube browser.

"Um, no."

"Holy crap! You have 1,583 notifications!"

Annabeth came over and pushed my swivel chair out of the way, me still on it. When it bumped into my bed I got up and went to watch what she was doing. She opened the settings, then turned off notifications.

"Now, look here," she said, facing me. "Your song got a lot of views, likes, and comments. Why haven't you checked it?"

"I-I… I don't know. I didn't think…"

"You gotta read these comments."

"I didn't think there would be so many. How many people listen to it?"

"Half a million, Percy. You're off to a good start."

"Wow." I brought my chair back and sat down, scrolling through the comments. "Wow," I said again.

"Why are you so surprised?" Hazel said. "It's a really good song."

"I just…"

I scrolled through the comments, my eyes skimming over a few of them.

_"New band? Super good!"_

_"Just my style of music."_

_"Weird...but good I guess."_

"I need to make an official channel, don't I?"

"You probably should," Annabeth said.

"Okay."

The girls chatted while I set that up. I made a new email account, then signed into YouTube with that email, and named it 'Elementai.'

"I need a picture…"

"I'm pretty sure you have one of us on your computer," Annabeth said. "Let me upload it for you."

"Okay." I leaned back and let her choose it. She picked out one that my mom had taken right after I'd defeated Kronos. Me and Annabeth were on the beach, laughing and gazing into each other's eyes. It was perfect. I told myself that when Leo came back we'd take a picture with all of us.

After all, I'd need a drummer.

I spent the next hour reading through all the comments, and replying to some of them. I uploaded "Thunder" to my Elementai channel, then left a comment on the original one, letting them know I had an official channel, and pinned it. Then I went back and continued to work on 'Demons.'

I stayed up late, perfecting the second verse. I decided to wait at least a week before I released it. I had surprised myself by getting it done so quickly, but I knew that not all songs would come to me as easily as this one had.

When I finally thought I'd done enough work on it, I set up my microphone, but didn't put headphones on because I was self-conscious about someone hearing me singing without any music.

_"When the days are cold, and the cards all fold…"_

Self-consciousness disappeared as I kept singing. I put all the emotion I could into it, not caring about how good or bad my voice was, just feeling.

"_Don't get too close…"_

When I got to the bridge, I could feel myself getting tense, building up to that moment, putting it everything I had.

And it finally came.

_"I can't escape this now,"_

I stood up.

_"Unless you show me how!"_

At that moment, I didn't care who listened to this song. I didn't care about the popularity it got, the comments, the likes, and the dislikes. I didn't care about what people thought. I cared about the music. The rest didn't matter. Just the music and how I felt it.

_"It's where my demons hide!"_

I stood there in the echoes, the silence, the darkness, and realized that artists didn't write songs just to write songs. They wrote songs because their feelings didn't allow them to do anything else.

I was an artist. And it was about time I let my feelings out.

.

**I hope you guys felt as much emotion as I did as I wrote that… Imagine Dragons is such a good band.**

**Fun fact, "Speak to me" is actually imagine dragons' first song ever released. I also found a lot of other awesome Imagine Dragons songs, and I can't wait to put them in this story. I actually went and planned out this entire story, and now all I have to do is write it lol. What song do you guys think I should do after "Demons"? I hope this chapter was enjoyable, it started out a little rough. If you guys have any other suggestions, let me know!**

**Oh, btw, I have two other stories that I'm working on right now, so I will be updating one of them every Sunday. That means that this one will get updated every three weeks. Hopefully. We'll see how it goes lol.**

**One more thing, to anyone who really likes Imagine Dragons, I recommend Zayde Wolf. He is an underrated artist who makes awesome songs (modern rock). The Score also makes great music. Who knows, I might put them in this story :) Anyway, enjoy your week!**


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm so hyped for this story I cannot even explain. I just want to write the whole thing out but sadly I have a life, so… Btw, i think that I'm going to release the songs in the actual albums, not the order, cause a couple have already been released, but i might do Evolve first? Then Night Visions? It might just be random too idk lol. I haven't completely decided yet. I'll just stick with singles for now. Thanks for all your lovely reviews!**

_When I was twelve I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety. Your song helped me realize that it doesn't have to define me, and that it can make me stronger. Thank you. _

_This song gives me the courage to fight all my battles. _

_It's so inspiring. _

_Songs like these make me wonder if the lead singer is okay… _

I pedaled hard, riding my bike down the street on which I knew the ice cream store was. It was hot, without even a breeze. Just that dead, hot, summer weather. Perfect for ice cream.

Braking in front of the bike rack, I hopped off the seat and pushed it in between the bars, knowing full well how warm the black seat would get in the sun. I didn't have anything to cover it with, and there wasn't any shade, so I let it be. The shop was busy today, and a long line gave me time to read through more comments. There'd been more than I thought, and I felt like it was my job to read them, so I did my best.

_Listened to this song today and as soon as he started singing, I got goosebumps and tears fell which surprised me. That's how you can tell a song has heart and soul cause it touches yours. _

_Whenever I feel down or depressed or just plain worthless, I come back to this song and it really helps. it reminds me that no matter what I feel, it's okay. It's okay to feel things like this. It's part of being human, and that's all right. So show your demons with pride and know that you belong where you are. You're not alone in this fight. Everyone has demons._

I tried to contemplate this influence my song had on people's lives, and I couldn't. It was just unbelievable that music could have so much impact, especially mine.

When there were only about four more people ahead of me, I heard someone say, "Percy?"

I turned, and saw a face I recognized, but I couldn't quite call it familiar.

"Yeah, that's me. Who are you?"

"Nancy Bobofit. Sixth grade?"

"Oh that's right. The girl who threw sandwiches at me."

Her face reddened slightly. "I'm sorry about that. Can I buy you ice cream to make up for it?"

"Sure." I ordered something small so she wouldn't have to pay too much. I'd nearly completely forgotten about her.

"So how's your friend?" she asked as we sat on a bench under some trees.

"Grover? He's doing all right. I don't see him as much anymore though."

She nodded, then hesitated. "I always wondered…what happened that day. In the moment, I just blamed you. But I think back on it, and...Percy, I remember a Mrs. Dodds."

I watched as melted ice cream dripped down my cone, unsure of what to say.

"I wondered if I would ever run into you again. Percy, who is Mrs. Dodds?"

_A Fury. Demon. Spawn of hell. Just your usual, you know._

"Someone that shouldn't be named," is what I settled with.

Nancy seemed satisfied with that answer. "What happened to Mr. Brunner?"

_Well, he turned into a horse, obviously. _

"I'm not sure."

She looked at me for a bit, which forced me to turn back and look at her.

"What happened to you?" she finally asked.

_Well, I found out I was a demigod, then I went on some quests and had to kill my grandfather, then I disappeared and lost my memory for a long time, then I went through literal hell, and finally defeated an earth goddess that was going to take over the world, and now I'm constantly reminded of that whole thing by nightmares._

"Uh, I dunno."

"You're a lot different than you were."

"Well, I'm older."

"No, it's more than that."

"I'm not sure I know what you mean." Nancy was starting to remind me of Rachel Dare for some reason.

"There's just this look in your eyes that I don't usually see in teenagers."

"Okay?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean it in a bad way. There's just a kind of coldness to you. And where did you get that scar on your jaw?"

I stopped myself from reaching up to rub it. Forcing a smile, I said, "Nancy, how many questions do you plan on asking me?"

She grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. I'm just trying to figure you out. You're not the same person from sixth grade."

"Well, I mean, technically I am."

"You know what I mean."

"Maybe. What have you been doing?"

She sighed. "Well, I've got college in about a month. I'm pursuing a music degree."

"That fits."

"Yeah. Wait, that was sarcasm."

I laughed. "A little bit. Which proves that you changed too."

"I guess so. Are you going to college?"

"Yeah, I think so. I'm not sure what for though. Maybe music."

"You? Music?"

I smiled. "Well, yeah. I found that songwriting is pretty fun."

"You write songs? That's cool."

"I've written two."

"Would I know them?"

"Probably not. One of them is called _Thunder,_ and the other is _Demons._"

"You're Elementai?!"

"Oh. Yeah."

"That's so cool! When's your next song coming out?"

"I don't know. I'm not sure what to write about."

"Well, I'm sure you'll find something."

"Yeah, hopefully."

"That's really cool. Hey, can I have your autograph now so I can say I was here before you become rich and famous?"

I laughed. "Okay, no way. I'm not becoming rich or famous."

"Technically you're already famous."

I shook my head. "No way."

"Hm… okay."

"Look, I wrote two songs."

"Which blew up."

I rolled my eyes.

"Seriously. You'll get there."

"I doubt it but thanks for the encouragement."

"Anytime, Jackson."

She was really starting to remind me of Rachel. And maybe Clarisse.

Nancy took out her phone and said, "Looks like I gotta go. Maybe I'll see you around, huh?"

"Yeah, maybe." My ice cream was nearly finished.

"See you later."

"See you."

_(line break)_

At 2 AM, sitting at my desk with only a dim light on, I thought about what Nancy said, about this 'look' in my eyes. I'd never considered what I looked like to mortals, cause usually the only people around me understood why I might be different.

But I wasn't different, was I? I didn't think I was. Neither did Annabeth either, apparently. Unless she did and I never realized it. I was never one to care about what other people thought about me, but I couldn't help but wonder what went through people's heads when they listened to my songs, especially _Demons._ And when Nancy saw me in person, her first impression had been how 'cold' I looked.

What if everyone thought that of me in that? First impressions were hard to shake, and if I kept up songs like _Demons,_ people wouldn't think of me any different way. I didn't want that to be my personality, but if it was, I couldn't help it. Could I?

_You're overthinking this,_ I told myself. _Just be yourself._

_But what if they don't like that?_

I sighed, then reached over and turned off the light. It was hardly likely that I would become well-known anyway, and I didn't exactly want to either.

I tried to tell myself it was fine, but it still took me a long time to fall asleep.

The next morning I decided to talk to my mom about it, because it wouldn't stop bothering me. She answered the door to her apartment with a smile, like I knew she would.

"Percy! Come on it, I made pancakes for breakfast."

"They're blue, right?" I checked as I walked in. I remembered Paul was away on a business trip.

"Of course," she laughed. "You haven't had breakfast yet?"

I shook my head. "I don't, usually."

"Well, come on in and eat."

I sat down at the table with my mom, and after a minute, my mom said, "Percy, are you alright? You seem...off."

For some reason, a streak of panic ran through me when I heard her say that. "I'm not! Sorry… I'm not off. I'm fine. You don't...you don't think that there's something...different about me, do you?"

She looked at me, confused, opening her mouth then closing it. "Percy, no. What do you mean?"

I shook my head. "I don't know. I ran into Nancy the other day, you know, the one from Yancy, and she told me that I looked different from normal teenagers."

"Well… Percy, you are different. But that's not a bad thing."

"She said my eyes looked cold." I hesitantly looked at her.

She looked back at me with a caring expression. There was a moment of silence before she said softly with a smile, "I never noticed."

At first that made me feel happy, but my mom was just one person. An amazing, beautiful, caring, and incredibly important person in my life, but still just one person. I glanced back down at the table. "What about other people? What if my...my listeners see me and realize I'm not normal?"

"Why are you afraid of that?"

"I don't know, I just want to be a likable person. They might ask questions, and… I don't know. Like what if a mortal sees my scars? What if I get a...a flashback or something in the middle of-"

"Has that ever happened?"

"Well, no, but-"

"Percy." She put her hand over mine. "You don't need to worry about this. You've never cared about what people think before. Why start now?"

"Cause I'm more _out there._ People know about me, and that kinda scares me."

"Don't let that scare you, Percy. You don't need everyone to love you. Just a few good people." **(Disclaimer: that's a quote from The Greatest Showman)**

I sighed. "I know. I know that. I'll get used to it, I guess."

She squeezed my hand. "It'll be okay."

I nodded. "Thanks, mom."

Smiling once more, she leaned over and hugged me. I couldn't help but think how lucky I was to have a mom like Sally.

_(Line break)_

"Jason!"

"I'm right here, you don't have to yell."

"Sorry." I swiveled around in my chair to face him as he sat on the bed, trying to figure out a music app on his phone. Leo had helped dim down network connection and WiFi, so it was slow, but it still worked well enough, and it didn't attract monsters.

"What's up?" he asked.

"So, I know you're kinda in on this already, but, just wondering, would you by any chance know how to play an electric guitar?"

He looked at me, a smile spreading over his face. "You want me to be your guitarist?"

"Kinda, yeah. So do you know how to?"

"Nope, but I can learn. How hard can it be, right?"

I laughed a little. "I wouldn't know, but first we need to get you one."

He smiled. "I can take care of that."

"You...you aren't gonna steal anything, are you?"

"Of course not. I just know a place where I can get one for cheap."

"Awesome. I'm thinking of asking Frank to be the bassist."

"Oh yeah, I think he'd like that. What about the drummer?"

I opened my mouth, then closed it. _Leo._

"I- I don't know yet."

"Leo would love that."

"Yeah. He would. He'll just have to hurry up and come back before any sort of concert that we do, then."

"Right."

I sighed a little. "Jason… I can't help but wonder… I mean, I know we keep telling ourselves that he'll come back but I just don't see how."

Jason was quiet for a moment, then he leaned forward and said, "Percy, that's not like you. Don't tell me you really believe that."

"It's hard not to."

"I know."

We were both silent after that. I felt bad for saying something like that, so I tried to make up for it by saying, "I haven't given up hope, though."

Jason only nodded and said, "Mhm."

I turned back to my computer and tried to brainstorm what my next song was going to be about. _Demons_ had come easily, and _Thunder_ was mostly experimenting, so I wasn't positive how I was going to write the next one. After about a half an hour of staring at the screen, I decided that inspiration wasn't just going to come to me. I shut my computer off and leaned back in my chair, placing my hands behind my head.

"Giving up?" Jason said, glancing up from his phone.

"No, just taking a break. Songwriting is hard work, you know."

He chuckled. "I wouldn't, but okay."

I shook my head. "I dunno. I just don't have any inspiration right now. Like, no ideas whatsoever."

"Maybe you do need a break then. Relax a little. Take Annabeth to the beach."

I nodded. "That sounds like a good idea. I'll ask her. You'll have the electric guitar mastered by the time we're back?" I grinned at him.

He laughed. "Sure thing."

Pretty soon Annabeth and I were walking along the shore, hand in hand. After a few minuted of just enjoying each other's company, listening to the gentle waves, I asked her, "So what have you been up to? I feel like it's been a while since we've talked."

"Well, I went shopping with piper and Hazel, which was fun," she said. "Then I helped Leo figure out a complicated machine part. After that, I went and pounded Clarisse's face off because she hid my sword."

I laughed a little. "She deserved that."

"Yep. What about you?"

"I biked around the city and got ice cream yesterday. I ran into Nancy, that girl I told you about that threw sandwiches at Grover."

"Yeah."

"We chatted for a bit, and, um…" I thought about telling her what we talked about, but I found myself saying, "Then I went to my mom's house this morning for breakfast."

_Why didn't you tell her?_

_Shut up._

"That sounds like fun. Any new songs?"

"No, not yet."

"No motivation?"

"Not motivation, but inspiration. I just don't know what to write."

She squeezed my hand. "I'm sure you'll find something."

"Yeah."

The more I thought about it as we walked, I realized that it might not be inspiration I was lacking. I mean, how much was I willing to reveal about me, and about my life?

And how long would it take for people to realize that I wasn't normal like the rest of them?

**Hey guys so...I will be updating this story once a week cause I dropped my other two stories. Idk for some reason writing three stories at once stressed me out a lot. Just writing this one stresses me out. If I miss an update, it just means that I didn't have enough time or motivation to write and it'll probably update the next day. Idk just for some reason I've been nervous all the time, which is weird cause literally nothing is going on in my life right now. Like I've been fine and suddenly I'm having a panic attack at the thought of getting out of bed and starting the day. Sorry if this chapter isn't the best, for some reason everything is just a little harder to do, like writing. I dunno. Sorry, you probably didn't want a rant from me lol. Thanks for reading, have a good day! **


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 **

**Asmodeus Stahl: **thanks!

**Mr Demigod: **thank you!

**Jsername: **I'm not sure if you got my PM or not, but a line break just means I'm switching to a different setting or place or time. I think I'll use some sort of symbol from now on tho.

.

I tapped out a rhythm on my desk while Jason tuned his new guitar. Well, it was new to him. I was honestly surprised that it worked because of how beat-up it looked.

I listened to him go from sharp, to flat, and an idea started forming in my head. I had a vague idea of the chorus for my next song, but the verses and bridge were the trickiest part. And then there was the beginning, which needed to be good in order to keep the listener listening.

"Jason, can you play a note a second?"

"Sure. G flat."

"Okay, now make it go slightly sharp."

He did, twisting the tuner knob.

"Back to normal. Then slightly sharp again and back to normal. Maybe like three times?"

I listened as he adjusted his tuner to produce an eerie, yet modern sound. I smiled. "That's perfect. There's the beginning. And maybe we can have it build into the first verse or something."

"Once you write the first verse," he reminded me.

"Yeah I know. I kinda want it to be fast, but a lot of big words. I'll ask Annabeth to help me."

"That's probably smart. So, when you say fast, does that mean, like, rapping?"

"No, not rapping," I said quickly. "Just fast-paced singing."

"Okay. Wanna go over the chorus again?"

"Sure, if you can play it without mistakes," I told him, smiling.

He rolled his eyes. "I'm working on it."

I laughed. "Okay, starting right after our non-existent pre-chorus…" I pressed play for the instrumental minus electric guitar. Jason followed the opening chord, right before I came in.

"_Whatever it takes… cause I love the adrenaline in my veins, I do whatever it takes…"_

Jason was keeping up pretty well, working on the simple chords rather than complicated rhythms. **(Sheesh I need to learn how to play the guitar lol.)** He kept it up until the end, but he ended slightly behind me and the music.

"Hey, it was better than last time," he said.

"That is true." My fingers drummed the desktop, trying to figure out how to start. I knew that once I got the first line, the rest would come more easily.

_Well, let's see. The song is about doing whatever it takes to complete your goal, or to save the world...sort of. But more than that. It's about survival too. Survival of the fittest? Maybe. Maybe something along the lines of just barely getting by, but wanting to be better. To be more than I am. _

I flipped my notebook open and started scratching down ideas, then began forming them into lyrics. Slowly but surely, I wrote and erased them until they were perfect. I nearly had the first verse completed when Jason said, "Percy, your phone's been going off for five minutes now."

I jumped, dropping my pen and reaching for my phone. They were all from Annabeth.

_Where r u?_

_Percy look at your phone, I know you have it on you._

_Answer me._

_Percy get your butt out here. _

_Seaweed Brain. Now. _

I slipped my phone in my pocket, closed my notebook, and said to Jason, "Annabeth's yelling at me to go outside, so let's go."

"Do I have to?"

"Come on." I opened the door and stepped outside, Jason reluctantly following behind me. Seeing Annabeth with a bunch of other campers crowded around something in the field, I hurried over there, Jason right behind me.

"What happened?" I asked as I neared her side.

"Percy, look." She held something in her hands, a piece of metal. "Do you recognize this?"

Jason gasped. "That's...that's part of Festus! A scale on his wing."

Annabeth nodded. "It either means that Leo might be okay cause obviously Festus was flying... somewhere," she hesitated. "Or, it might mean that Festus...fell. But, I don't like to think about that."

I frowned, trying to figure how a piece of Leo's metal dragon got here if it burst into flames… Or maybe it didn't. But either way it gave us a little bit of hope that Leo was maybe alive.

Or it could've squashed any illusion that he's survived, and had most likely crashed.

Like Annabeth, I tried to remain optimistic.

The metal was taken to the Hephaestus cabin, and with nothing else to do, I went back inside my cabin to keep writing. Jason went off somewhere with Piper, so it was just me and my thoughts.

I perfected the first verse and started to work on the pre-chorus, since I knew I couldn't just jump from quiet singing into "whatever it takes!"

_Something about…being strong enough for anything. Expressing a desire to fight, and to win. _

_Isn't this song a bit personal? _

I sighed, trying to tell myself that all my songs were going to be personal, so people could relate to them more. But it wasn't just about how the people would like it. I wrote them for me, too. Writing helped me keep a grip on reality, and I liked to think that music did the same for others, too. Maybe not everyone, but I knew not everyone was going to like my songs. Which was fine. At least, that's what I tried to tell myself.

_On _Thunder_: what even is this? I'm sorry, but I just think this song is too far away from the normality to be anything. _

I shook my head, telling myself that the positive comments outnumbered the negative. Still, I couldn't help but wonder what went through some people's heads when they clicked that dislike button. Was it just their taste in music? Or something that I'd done wrong?

I told myself to stop overthinking, and began to figure out how the pre-chorus would slide into the chorus.

I scrolled through some of my favorite artists and songwriters on YouTube, and realized that most of them had different cover arts for their songs, especially the popular ones. Most of them actually had music videos, but we didn't have the money to pay for music videos yet. For my cover art for my two songs, I'd just done a picture of a grayed-out beach on a cloudy day. My mom had taken it with her nice camera, so I figured it was official enough.

But I wondered if I would want different covers for my songs, especially if I wrote a lot of them. I knew Hazel was an artist and could maybe design one…

I stood up, deciding to talk to Annabeth about this. She'd know what to do. I saw her in the training arena as I stepped outside, and I decided to wait until she was finished demolishing the dummy to walk up to her.

"Hey, Seaweed Brain," she said as she flipped her hair away from her face.

I smiled. "Hey, Wise Girl." I stepped up to her and wrapped my arms around her shoulders. She laughed a little, the kind of laugh where I could tell she was rolling her eyes, but still smiling.

"You know I'm all sweaty, right?"

"You know I don't care, right?" I pulled back. "You're still beautiful."

"Thanks. Now what's up? You looked like you came out here with a purpose."

I laughed. "Yeah. I think I want cover art for my songs."

"Okay. Can you draw?"

"No way. But Hazel can, right?"

Annabeth pursed her lips, like she did when she was thinking hard. "Well, you could have her do it, then you would probably have to pay her for a digital drawing device. Or you could hire a professional to do it, but then you'd have to hire one every time you wanted a cover, and it would cost a lot, too."

I blew out a breath. "Everything costs money."

She laughed. "Don't worry, you'll have income from your songs soon enough, either from YouTube, or shows."

"Shows?"

"Maybe. I'm sure you'll give a few."

"But in public? Is that safe?"

"I'm not sure. One thing at a time, though. You should ask Hazel if she'd be willing to draw them for you."

"Yeah, I'll do that." I could ask Frank about the bass part then, too. "Do you know where they are?"

Her eyebrows scrunched together. "Last time I saw them, they were headed towards the strawberry fields."

"Okay. I hope I don't interrupt anything."

She laughed. "I'm sure they won't mind."

I kissed her on the cheek before turning and walking towards the strawberries, smiling at her blush that I knew was there. As I neared the rows of green plants, I saw two figures standing a ways off, so I headed towards them because it looked like Frank and Hazel. I hoped they weren't in some serious discussion, but when I said, "Frank?" he turned around and smiled.

"Hey, man. What's up?"

I relaxed a little. "Are you busy?"

"No, we were just chatting."

"Cool. So… Hazel, you know how to draw, right?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I can."

I hesitated. "If I bought you a digital drawing device, would you be willing to design cover art for my songs?"

She bit her lip, then said, "You'd really want me to do that?"

"Of course. I wouldn't know who else to ask."

She smiled a little. "I'd love to do that. Any specific style you want?"

"Whatever you think is best."

"Okay… based on your style of music, I'm thinking more modern? Maybe even futuristic. Hmm…"

I left her to her thoughts and turned to Frank. "Hey, Frank, how much musical ability do you have."

"Well… I knew how to play the guitar at one point."

"Really? That's awesome! Do you think you could relearn?"

"Probably. You want me to play the guitar for you?"

"Well, I was wondering if you'd like to be the bassist. So electric bass guitar."

"Oh, yeah, that would be fun. Who's doing lead guitarist?"

"Jason."

"Drums?"

"Leo," I said confidently. "When he comes back."

Frank nodded. "I have a guitar back at Camp Jupiter. I can grab it when I go back. We can get an electric one when you start making money."

I smiled, glad he was in on this. "Sounds good."

"You almost done with the next song? Jason said you were working on it."

"Yeah, I'm getting there. It hopefully won't be too long. Maybe another week to put it together."

It'd been about two months since I'd released _Demons,_ so I figured one more week wasn't too bad.

"Okay, I'll be patient."

"I'll text you the guitar music for the first two songs for you to look over."

"Sounds good."

I started to turn away. "Thanks for doing this. Hazel, I'll order you a drawing tablet."

"You don't have to pay for it, you know."

"Yeah, I do. Don't worry about it."

"Thank you. I've always wanted one of those."

I smiled at her, then said, "Okay, see you guys later."

As I walked back to my cabin, I smiled even wider. I'd always wanted to try something like this, and it was finally happening.

"We have a band," I said to myself, feeling happy. Then I looked out in the direction of the sea and sighed. We almost had a band. But I knew Leo would be all in once he came back.

_He'll be here soon… We just have to be patient. But you'd better have good songs for him once he comes. _

I hurried back to my cabin to finish _Whatever It Takes._

**.**

**Ahhhhh ok I have a super busy week coming up so i might not be able to update on Sunday but we'll see. Sorry if this chapter was short, or not very good, I wrote half of it today cause i got behind, but thanks for reading anyway! I always appreciate reviews :) Have a great day! **


	8. Exclusive and author's note

**So yes I know that it isn't Sunday today, but this isn't a normal chapter. There is an important author's note at the end! I figured that the meaning of the lyrics of the three songs released so far might be helpful, or just fun to look at. These aren't mine, but I did make a few adjustments and/or added a few things. Enjoy! **

**Guest: **Yeah...it is a robot I'm pretty sure. I think I'll go back and revise that actually. Thanks for pointing it out!

**Jsername: **ahh thank u so much :)

**Asmodeus Stahl: **it was my favorite for a while too lol. Thanks for reviewing :)

**thekalvagirl:** thank you!

**Mr Demigod: **thanks!

* * *

"Thunder"

The first line, "Just a young gun with a quick fuse", is a metaphor representing a young person with hunger and eagerness to take over the world and achieve his goals. It seems as if the person is uncomfortable in the current situation which is signified through the line, "wanna leave my own life behind". "Thunder" has this line saying, "I was uptight". This clearly shows that the anxiousness and anger that was there has completely disappeared now. And they "Let loose" and moved on.

The lead singer, Dan Reynolds, didn't comply with any rules and always followed his own path that he built for himself. The line, "fit the box, fit the mold" is in reference to the record labels which control the kind of music the artists release. They want music that fits into the trend that's currently trending. They want content which "fits in the mold" of Popular music. But Dan was neither "a follower" nor a guy going "yes sir". He followed his heart.

The line "have a seat in the foyer, take a number" is kind of representing the people who are told to sit and wait for their turn to come by taking a number. This represents them waiting for their turn for their breakthrough for the Imagine Dragons.

Chorus

Lightning always occurs before the Thunder. The lightning represents the singer's dreams and hopes that nobody really notices until he puts them into action. As soon as they are put in action, the thunder occurs, which the big boom that people always notice. He's captured their attention, which is the lasting effect that thunder usually has.

Verse 2

This verse is very clear. Here, Dan is talking about the time when he was just a kid in school and how he was pushed down and insulted and bullied by telling him, by "Laughing at him" because he had big dreams of becoming a big star. They laughed at him because he wasn't traditional or wasn't able to fit in with them. "Who do you think you are? dreaming 'bout being a big star" is the response of the kids to Dan's dreams of becoming a big star. He was called a loser (always riding in the backseat). He was made fun of because he was such a simple, basic guy with huge dreams and they thought he didn't have the capabilities to become a big star.

In the last line of the verse, he says that the people who ridiculed him and doubted are now seeing him perform on the stage in front of the whole world while they are standing behind at the "nose bleeds" and clapping. "Nose Bleeds" actually refers to the cheapest tickets that are available at an event that are located at the highest place as in at a high altitude which might give them nose bleeds. So this verse is actually Dan giving his response to the people who put him down and he shows them that look at me now and look at you. He's taken over the world while they are just watching him do it from afar. The line is a big "getting back" to the ones who doubted him and his abilities.

* * *

"Whatever It Takes"

Falling too fast to prepare for this

Tripping in the world could be dangerous

Everybody circling, it's vulturous

Negative, nepotist

.

This is basically saying "I'm messing up, and nobody's giving me slack. Nobody is going to help me, so I have to figure it out on my own."

.

Everybody waiting for the fall of man

Everybody praying for the end of times

Everybody hoping they could be the one

I was born to run, I was born for this

.

He's saying "I'm ready, everyone's waiting for me to mess up, but it's not gonna happen. Other people want the spotlight, but I've been waiting for this my whole life."

.

Whip, whip

Run me like a racehorse

Pull me like a ripcord

Break me down and build me up

I wanna be the slip, slip

Word upon your lip, lip

Letter that you rip, rip

Break me down and build me up

.

"Whatever doesn't kill me makes me stronger. I can be your hero, if you just let me. I'm willing to run myself into the ground for success/goals."

.

Whatever it takes

Cause I love the adrenaline in my veins

I do whatever it takes

Cause I love how it feels when I break the chains

Whatever it takes

You take me to the top I'm ready for

Whatever it takes

Cause I love the adrenaline in my veins

I do what it takes

.

"I'm willing to give my all, I love the thrill, I love the endurance, so this is why I keep pushing myself."

.

Always had a fear of being typical

Looking at my body feeling miserable

Always hanging on to the visual

I wanna be invisible

.

"I don't wanna be average. But I don't wanna fail. I don't measure up... I'm not good enough. Maybe I should just give up or hide."

.

Looking at my years like a martyrdom

Everybody needs to be a part of 'em

Never be enough, I'm the prodigal son

I was born to run, I was born for this

.

"I've never given my best effort, I've always been out-of-place, but now I'm ready. I'm made for this."

.

Whip, whip

Run me like a racehorse

Pull me like a ripcord

Break me down and build me up

I wanna be the slip, slip

Word upon your lip, lip

Letter that you rip, rip

Break me down and build me up

.

Same as before

.

Whatever it takes

Cause I love the adrenaline in my veins

I do whatever it takes

Cause I love how it feels when I break the chains

Whatever it takes

You take me to the top, I'm ready for

Whatever it takes

Cause I love the adrenaline in my veins

I do what it takes

.

Same

.

Hypocritical, egotistical

Don't wanna be the parenthetical, hypothetical

Working onto something that I'm proud of, out of the box

An epoxy to the world and the vision we've lost

I'm an apostrophe

I'm just a symbol to remind you that there's more to see

I'm just a product of the system, a catastrophe

And yet a masterpiece, and yet I'm half-diseased

And when I am deceased

At least I go down to the grave and die happily

Leave the body of my soul to be a part of me

I do what it takes

.

"I wanna be original, I don't wanna just follow the crowd. I'm a name, not a number. I'm worth more than I give myself credit for. I'm good enough right now, but I wanna be better." It's like he's reached the bottom, and now he's building to the top using the pain that brought him down before.

.

Whatever it takes

Cause I love the adrenaline in my veins

I do whatever it takes

Cause I love how it feels when I break the chains

Whatever it takes

You take me to the top, I'm ready for

Whatever it takes

Cause I love the adrenaline in my veins

I do what it takes

.

"I'm willing to give my all"

* * *

"Demons"

"when the days are cold" - things are dark and depressing

"the cards all fold" - everyone has given up

"the saints we see are all made of gold" - there isn't anyone truly good left

"when your dreams all fail" - life is getting hard and things aren't happening for people

"and the ones we hail are the worst of all" - the people who have the most influence are the people are are the worst influences (famous musicians, etc.)

"the blood's run stale" - nobody has passion anymore

"I wanna hide the truth, I wanna shelter you" - he wants to hide the terrible world from someone he loves

"but with the beast inside, there's nowhere we can hide" - the things that make man fallen are inside of him, so he could cut her off completely from bad people and she would still have a beast inside her

"no matter what we breed, we still are made of greed" - same idea...man's fallen traits are engrained in him, and you can't make them go away

"this is my kingdom come" - this is my reality, i realize that now, and this is as good as it's getting

"when you feel my heat look into my eyes, it's where my demons hide" - I may seem like a better person on the outside, but in reality I'm just as bad as everyone else on the inside, I've got problems too

"don't get too close, it's dark inside" - you're too innocent for me

"when the curtain call is the last of all" - the show's over, now you see who the people really are, but they've still got smiles on their faces

"when the lights fade out all the sinners crawl" - but when your not looking anymore, the people are just humble sinners on their hands and knees just like everyone else

"so they dug your grave" - everyone is just waiting for you to fall too, because they know you will

"and the masquerade" - like I said before, everyone is just a fake

"will come calling out at the mess you made" - even though they're just fakes, they are just looking for their chance to criticize you and pull you down, which s why they've dug your grave

'don't wanna let you down, but I am hell-bound" - I really don't want to hurt you, but even though I know you trust in my, I'm gonna have to burst your bubble cuz I'm as bad as everyone else

"don't wanna hide the truth, know this is all for you" - he wanted to hide he truth earlier, but now he knows he can't keep deluding her, she needs to know who he really is, who people all really are, and it may hurt her but it's all for her in the end

"they say it's what you make, I say it's up to fate" - some people say that what you do and how hard you work determines the outcome of life our a relationship, but he thinks it's just gonna happen like it happens and there's nothing he can do to change it: people will always have demons inside them

"it's woven in my soul" - his demons are a part of him, he's never going to shake them

"I need to let you go" - she's innocent, and he doesn't want to ruin that and since he's stuck with his demons forever, he needs to separate himself from her

"your eyes they shine so bright, I want to save that light" - again, he wants to preserve her innocence

"I can't escape this now" - again, he thinks he's stuck with his demons forever

"unless you show me how" - here's the note of hope in this song. He thinks he's pretty much stuck like he is forever, but whoever he is talking to is so innocent and 'her eyes shine so bright' that he thinks just maybe possibly she might be able to show him the way out.

* * *

**ImPoRtAnT aUtHoR's NoTe! I think that I am going to put this story away for a while. I love it a lot, and I have a lot of great plans for it, but I can't seem to write anything right now, but it's not just writer's block. I think I'm just going to take a break because I've been feeling a little out of it lately. I'm really sorry about it, but I hope the break won't be too long. Just enough for me to figure things out. You probably don't want another rant from me so I'll just leave it at that. I hope you understand and have a great day :) **


	9. Chapter 8

**Hey. So. I'm back. Sooner than I thought, I think. Writing has been extremely difficult lately, and honestly it's kinda unsettling, cause I've never been able to not write before. I dunno...I guess I just feel out of it (huge understatement but i don't wanna dump too much on you) I broke up with my boyfriend and honestly I feel a lot less stressed now. Thanx for all your support guys.**

**Mr. Demigod: thank u, and don't worry i like Imagine Dragons too much to completely abandon this story.**

**Ok. Here we go. Btw if this chapter has stuff about like insecurities with Percy, that's just my thoughts coming out and I apologize. Enjoy.**

.

A headache had been resting heavily on my temples for a while now as I stared at the screen in front of me. I rubbed the place where it hurt, but it didn't help. I'd just finished _Whatever It Takes_, and was working on cleaning up the messy parts and tweaking notes or rhythms I wasn't comfortable with. I figured I could release it in maybe two days.

But for whatever reason, I couldn't concentrate. Part of me said that I could just release it now, but the more practical side of me said that I was too out of it to notice any mistakes. I didn't want to risk releasing it when there might be something wrong with it, and I couldn't concentrate enough to hear something wrong with it.

So I shut off my computer and decided to take a nap for the first time since...a long time ago. I flicked off the lights and collapsed on my bed, the throbbing in my forehead pressing down on my eyes until I fell asleep.

Once I woke up, I decided I would never take another nap again. I was so confused as to why it was light outside, I had no idea what time it was, my eyes felt weird, and I still had a headache.

I groaned and stuffed my pillow over my head, so that I barely heard the knocking at the door.

"Come in," I said, my voice muffled.

The door opened, and I knew it was Annabeth from the quiet sigh that somehow floated to my ears.

"Seaweed Brain… Are you alright?"

I took the pillow off my head and sat up, blinking at her until she smiled. "Just tired?" she asked.

"Headache."

"I'll get you some Tylenol."

"Thanks."

I rubbed my eyes as she walked into the bathroom, trying to get the bleariness out of them. My clock read 4 PM, so I'd only been asleep for about an hour. I sighed to myself, just sitting there, not wanting to move or say anything. Annabeth came out of the room with a couple pills in one hand and a glass of water in the other. She handed them to me and sat on the edge of my bed as I consumed them.

"Percy." She hesitated. "Are you sure you're not getting a headache because of songwriting? It can be a lot of stress sometimes…"

I sighed. "I don't think so. It's sometimes a little stressful, but it's mostly for fun. I don't feel like I have to meet any deadlines, which is nice."

"Okay. But if it starts to get too stressful, let me know."

"I will."

She nodded, rubbing my back. I closed my eyes again, and I might've fallen asleep again if Annabeth's hadn't said, "Hey, do you wanna head down to the beach and relax there?"

I nodded, letting her help me to my feet. She always knew exactly what I needed, even if I didn't. A few campers milled around as we made our way down to the shore. Camp was quiet today, mostly because there hadn't been any monster attacks in a long time. It almost unnerved me, because Camp Half-Blood wasn't Camp Half-Blood without the occasional danger. Although, having Clarisse in a bad mood sometimes almost covered for it. And, of course, having Jason, Piper, Frank, and Hazel around definitely made the mood lighter. Jason had told me that he was thinking of staying here in camp, and not joining Frank and Hazel when they went back. Piper would be staying too. Honestly, it would be awesome if they could stay, but I didn't want to make them stay just for the band, which technically wasn't even an official band yet. We hadn't been recognized by anyone who could get us anywhere, and we were missing a drummer.

I sighed through my nose. Maybe Annabeth was right, and this was stressing me out.

_Don't focus on the big things, just keep your mind on the music._

Right. That was easy.

"What's on your mind?" Annabeth asked as we walked down to the waves.

"The band. I don't know, I'm just thinking that maybe this could turn into a big thing, you know? Like...I dunno."

"Maybe you could make a living off of it?"

"No, not...like that. Not yet. Maybe. I'm not sure."

"It's definitely something to think about. Having songwriting as a career is usually difficult, but I'd say since you've got a great start, you'd be able to pull it off."

"You really think so?"

She nodded. "And you've got a great team. You know probably everyone would support you in this. We're demigods. Of course we'd think this sort of thing is cool."

I laughed a little. "Yeah, you're right. Leo would have to come back first."

She went silent for a minute, then spoke. "Percy, have you considered-"

"Yes. I am aware that he might not come back, okay? I know."

"I was going to say, are you aware that he might not want to be the drummer?"

That shut me up. "Oh." Suddenly I felt guilty for assuming that he would just automatically join the band. I was sure he'd be on board with it, but what if he wanted to play something like the guitar? Or even the piano? I'd never seen Leo at a piano, but then again, I'd never seen him at a drum set, either.

"Hm."

"Just something else to think about," she said.

"Yeah."

We walked in silence for the next few moments, listening to the soft lapping of tiny waves against the shore.

"I'm sorry, Percy. I didn't mean to sound so...disheartening. You're right, the drummer does seem like the most obvious role for him."

"No, it's okay. Like you said, it's just something to think about."

She nodded, and we dropped it after that. I took her hand in mine, and after we both took off our shoes, we waded into the water, enjoying the cool water around our ankles.

I was looking off into the horizon when I felt water splash on my arm. I glanced over to see Annabeth with both hands in the water, a small smile on her face. I felt my own smile break through.

"Okay, Wise Girl. But, just so you know, you are so getting soaked."

She laughed, then splashed me full on, but before she could get another one in, I skimmed my hand across the surface, creating a spray that hit her in the face.

"You can do better than that, Seaweed Brain."

"I definitely can."

And then I tackled her. We both went under, and for her sake, I let the water touch my skin and clothes. Both of us came up soaked, but laughing. She waded out further until it was past our waists. We splashed each other for a bit, then I tackled her again, but this time I willed the bubbles to gather around us, and we recreated our still favorite kiss ever.

_Yeah, things are pretty good._

_You wouldn't want to ruin it with becoming 'famous,' would you?_

_I'm not getting famous. And even if I did, it wouldn't ruin anything._

"Is everything okay?" Annabeth whispered as we broke apart.

"Yeah," I said, and smiled a genuine smile. "Everything's great."

And it really was.

.

Third song released...with official cover art by Hazel. I'd finally finished up_ Whatever It Takes_, and released it this morning. So far there were about 6,000 views, 124 comments, and 3000 likes. And 40 dislikes. And about four percent of the comments were negative, but I told myself to focus on the positive ones. It was...sort of working.

I'd had some thoughts running around in my mind for a while now, so I decided to take some time to just write some things down that I'd like to sing about someday. Over the next few months, I recorded a bunch of demos, filled up most of my notebook, and I almost felt ready to start working on a song for real. Frank and Hazel had gone back to New Rome, but they'd said that they would be back for the summer.

That was also another thing to think about. Once the summer was over, I had a few options. I could go to New Rome, and live a mostly normal life there with Annabeth, or I could go to a mortal college, and pursue a music degree.

Decisions were tough. Annabeth had said she was okay with going to a mortal college, or going to New Rome, as long as she could pursue architecture. It basically depended on what I wanted to do. And nothing stressed me out more.

If we went to New Rome, that would mean leaving Camp Half-Blood behind for the most part. It would mean only seeing my mom maybe three times a year. But it would also mean safety, and no worry or concern about the world ending.

Going to a mortal college meant I got to stay in Camp Half-Blood, see my mom whenever I wanted to, and go for what I wanted to do, except I wasn't completely sure if I wanted to do it yet.

I knew that some artists had said that you just needed to 'take that leap of faith,' but I didn't know if I could do that. I didn't know if I wanted to do that.

I was 17, and would've been in my last year of highschool if not for...past events. My mom had offered to enroll me for the last semester, but I'd turned her down. Another disadvantage for college.

I honestly wished things could go back to the way they were before the Giant War happened. When our greatest threat was a new quest, which I could conquer with Annabeth and other friends. But then I wouldn't have Jason, Frank, Piper, Hazel, or Leo. Or any Romans.

I guess things are pretty okay now. And it's not like I can go back and change anything anyway.

I took a deep breath. I was sitting at my desk, scrolling through demos I'd sung. I'd updated my studio quite a bit, so that there were more speakers- better speakers- and a new mic. There were also two electric guitars- one for Jason and one for Frank- and one acoustic guitar that Paul had let me borrow so I could attempt to learn, which wasn't going horribly. It hurt my fingers a little but I supposed I would get used to that.

The more I played it, the more lyrics I wrote down, and the more I sang, the more I realized that I really did want to do this for a living. I'd begun to think about how it would work out. I could go to college for it, maybe get a side job for construction or something until I could afford a house for me and Annabeth, and maybe we could build it by Camp Half-Blood, so people wouldn't think it was weird when we walked up to the seemingly empty hill. Or I could buy a beach house, but those were really expensive. Either way, I knew that I definitely wanted to pursue music. Not for the fame, but just for something I enjoyed doing.

I found Annabeth with Piper, then I found Jason, and we Iris-messaged Frank and Hazel.

"Okay, guys," I said. "I made a couple decisions. Don't feel pressured or anything, but here it is." I took a deep breath as they listened intently. "I decided that I want to go to a normal college for music. I might make a living off of it, and I might get a different job, too, but I definitely want a music degree."

"Going full in," Jason said with a smile on his face. "It's bold and risky, but I think it'll be worth it." Piper and Frank seemed to agree. I smiled my thanks.

"Maybe it's just me," Hazel said, "or the time I grew up in, but people usually didn't make a living out of music. But I think that you could do it."

"It'll be a lot of work," I admitted. "But I'm willing to try."

I glanced over at Annabeth since she hadn't said anything, and saw that she was smiling.

"Wise Girl?"

"I'm with you," she said simply. "I'll find a college here, maybe New York, and I'm totally with you."

I grinned. "Thanks."

"Frank, what about you?" Jason asked. "I'm staying here, but with you in New Rome…"

Frank hesitated. "I'll come by and visit a lot, and we can always make it work with IMing."

Jason nodded.

I realized that they'd just assumed that they were going to be part of this, and while I was thankful for that, I didn't want to make them do it.

"Guys, you know you don't have to do this, right? I mean, I don't wanna force you or anything."

Piper laughed a little. "Percy, Jason is so hyped for this. He literally ranted to me a couple days ago about how excited he was."

Jason glanced down, smiling. "Yeah, I did."

"Okay." That made me feel a little better.

"I'm definitely in too," Frank said. "I've never really thought about doing this sort of thing before, but I think it'll be fun. Don't worry about it."

"Okay. Thank you."

I thought about Leo again, and how it had been at least a month since anyone had mentioned him. I was worried they'd given up hope, and everytime that I entertained that notion, my brain immediately pushed it away.

But now I thought about it a little more, and truly considered the fact that I might never see Leo again. And that almost made me want to cry.

"Seaweed Brain?"

"Just…" I waved my hand. "Just Leo."

Everyone nodded a bit and looked down. They knew. They understood.

Back in my cabin, I took out my journal, which was nearly full, and scratched down a few thoughts that had been running through my mind all day.

_All this time I've been searching for what I'm supposed to do…_

I looked at it for a moment, trying to find a rhyme for the next line, then switched time to years, and turned the second part into who I'm meant to be.

_All this time I've been wasting, cause it was right in front of me._

_So here's to my yesterday._

I smiled, finally feeling like I was taking a real step forward**.**

**.**

**Can you guess what song he's doing next lol. Anywho I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I decided that i'm probably not going to be able to post a new chapter every week, so I'll probably just update every few weeks or so. But I feel like I did ok with this chapter. Thanks for reading, hope you have a good day**


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**Ugh I feel like this story is just going downhill. I honestly don't know what's been with my writing lately, but I did find out that writing poems is actually easier, so i wrote a couple of those. Anywho, I hope u enjoy this chapter. Sorry it took so long.**

**.**

"You can't keep releasing singles forever. You've got to make an album at some point."

I sighed, knowing Annabeth was right. But I felt like each song was so unique by itself; I didn't want to group it under one title.

"I know. But I wouldn't know what to call it, and I don't even have enough songs for that. Do artists release all the songs at once? Or do they release them one by one, and then put them into an album?"

"They release them one by one, but under the album name. So, for example, you'd release one song, then you'd announce the new album. Then you would release the rest of them soon afterwards. I think."

"Okay. I still don't have enough songs to do that."

"You have like, a hundred demos. And your notebook is full. Put them together."

I shook my head. "It's not as easy as putting them together. Making a song takes a lot of work."

"I know that. But you've already done over half of the work."

I shook my head again. "It'll still take a lot of time."

"I know! I just…" She sighed. "I'm sorry, Percy."

"It's not your fault," I murmured. "We're all new to this. We'll figure it out."

"Yeah." She gave me a quick kiss on the cheek, then said, "I'm going to go find Piper. See you at supper."

"See you."

Sighing, I rested my forehead on the desk. This was the second disagreement we'd had this week, and it was stressing me out more than I wanted it to.

I went through a couple of demos, listening to the sounds I created late at night when I couldn't sleep. Making openings and background music was easy, but finding a melody was harder. Sometimes it just appeared in my head, but most of the time my mind's music was silent.

So I picked up the borrowed guitar and strummed a few chords, trying them in a new order. I played several conflicted ones that built on each other until I resolved it with a C major. Four chords in all, F major, A minor, G major, then C. After listening to a few acoustic covers, I realized that those four chords were the basis for many songs. Going through my own demos, I saw that in them too.

There had to be more I could do with that. Sure, I could switch around strumming patterns, but I needed to be able to pick out a melody from chords.

I needed to be a lot better at the piano. So instead of trying to write a new song, I could work on my music skills, and then maybe something would come to me. Which meant I needed a keyboard. The problem was that I didn't have enough money to buy one. I didn't have enough subscribers to earn money from YouTube, and I definitely didn't have a job, so the only other option was...to start selling music. Which meant I had to make an album.

I picked up my phone and called my mom, who didn't take long to pick up.

"_What's up?"_

"Olay, so...here's the thing. I need to make an album soon, but I need a few more songs first. I've been making music from my guitar and computer for now, but I need another way to make music. I don't have enough money, so… I was wondering if I could borrow yours until I can afford one?"

"_Of course you can! You can honestly have it if you want. I never use it._"

"Wow really? That's awesome! Thank you so much. I can pick it up tonight if that's okay."

"_Absolutely! I'll look forward to seeing you._" I could tell she was smiling. So was I.

"Thanks, mom. Love you."

"_Love you too, sweetie."_

Later that night, after supper, I asked Chiron if I could borrow the strawberry truck.

"You know, Percy, you go into town enough where having your own car would be worth it."

I laughed a little and said, "I'd buy one, but I can't afford it."

"Well, I wouldn't be opposed to you getting a job."

"Wait, seriously? But I thought… Wouldn't that attract monsters?"

"That's what I thought at first too, but the more your popularity grows on the internet, the more I'm starting to think that they won't attack you."

I thought about that for a moment. Not having monsters attack me was honestly a foreign concept.

"I'll...think about it."

Chiron smiled. "Take your time."

()()()

Around 8, Annabeth and I headed into the city in the strawberry truck. I wonder if people in my mom's apartment wondered why there was a strawberry delivery truck there so often. Maybe they thought that someone just really liked strawberries.

Paul and my mom were cleaning up supper when we walked in. The keyboard was already on the kitchen table, along with a stand for it.

"Hey, you two," my mom said as she brought dishes to the sink.

"Hi, mom."

"Hi, Mrs. Jackson. Hi, Paul," Annabeth said.

Paul lifted his hand in a wave, lost in his book.

"Hey mom," I said I went over to the keyboard, "I think I'm going to get a job."

She set down the washcloth and came over to me. "Are you sure?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Even if I do manage to sell music, I still need another way to make money, especially if I'm going to college."

"Okay. Monsters won't attack?"

I shook my head. "Chiron doesn't think so."

"Well, that's good. What kind of job?"

"I'm not sure yet. Maybe a restaurant or something."

"Okay, just not McDonalds."

I laughed. "Don't worry, I'm not that desperate. Maybe an ice cream shop. Or a donut shop."

"That'd be fun."

"Yeah." I fingered the edge of the keyboard.

"You know how to set it up?"

I nodded.

"You know, I'm really proud of you for doing this, Percy."

I looked at her with a smile on my face. "Thank you. I hope I'll be able to get it to work."

"I'm sure you will. Have you released _Yesterday _yet?"

"Yep. This morning. It didn't get as many views as _Thunder, _or _Demons._"

"That's weird. I'm sure you'll be able to get back up there, though."

"Thanks, mom."

She hesitated. "Percy, I listened to _Demons _again, and just wanted to say that if you ever want to talk about something, I'm always here."

Glancing away, I said with more sincerity, "Thank you. I really appreciate it."

She gave me a side hug, then helped me pack the keyboard into a black canvas bag for transportation. Then we said our goodbyes, and Annabeth and I drove back to camp.

()()()

Around midnight, I realized that if I was going to release an album, then I needed an album name. Song names were easy because they were usually just the word said most. But an album name needed to cover all of the songs- it needed to be perfect. It also needed to reflect my personal life as well as the songs, and by personal life, I meant my life that included Greek mythology.

Why didn't I just do a Greek word? That wouldn't be too obvious, and it's not like anyone was looking for hints of Greek mythology. I mean, who would guess that Greek gods are actually still real and constantly trying to horribly mess up your semi-normal life?

Right?

I tried an album name generator, but all I got were a bunch of weird and super dramatic ones that didn't even make sense, like Preaching Choir, and Crowd Control. Who would name their album "Crowd Control"? That was asking for an empty concert.

In the end I decided to do a single, simple word, one that I thought described the few songs pretty well, and would continue to describe future ones.

Truth.

And in Greek, that was _Aletheia._

Perfect.

.

**Wow. It's been a really long time. I'm really sorry this chapter is so short, but school kinda hit me like a train and I've been pretty stressed out lately. Anyway, I'm going to go back and seriously revise the previous chapter. Like, a lot. The first few are so cringy lol. I'll try to be more consistent with updates from now on. If you're still here, thanks so much for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful day. **

**One question tho, should I change the title? That would also be changing the name of their band. I'm not a huge fan of the name Elementai anymore, so lemme know what you think. **


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